Toy parachute and projecting means therefor



1933. A. R. c, GIESE TOY PARACHUTE AND PROJECTING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Oct. 4, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 26, 1933. -A. R. c. GIESE TOY PARACHUTE AND PROJECTING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Oct. 4, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ?w kw V w W KW @mmdw AW fl f Patented Dec. 26,1933

' UNITED STATES "PATENT. OFFICE 5 c g "f 1,941,os2 v TOY PARACHUTE ANDVPROJECTING MEANS it THEREFOR Albert R. G. (liese, McKeesport, Pa. Application October 4, 1932. SerialNo. 636,224 7 Claims. (Grit-52),

ings wherein like numerals of reference indicate This invention relatesto the class of toy parachutes andmeans for projectingthe same and relates particularly to a parachute which is designed to be projected into the air in folded condition and withina casing. I

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a toy parachute which may be thrown into the air infolded condition and in a casing and which will be automatically releasedas soon as the upward or horizontal flight of the casing changes; to a downward direction. Another object of the invention is to provide in an automatically released toy'parachute, a novel means for housing the parachute and for effecting its 'releasein the air.

A still further object of theinvention 'is to provide a toy parachute of the character above described, in which its-release to permit it to open in the air is. controlled-by the, position of its carrying case in the air.

Another. object of the invention is'to provide ;a novel projecting means for thesparachute; carrying case whereby its'flight into the air toan extreme height is effected. t.

The invention will befbest understood from a consideration of the following. detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings formingpart of this specification, with the understanding, however, thatthe invention is not confined to any strict conformity withthe showing of the drawings but may; be vchanged or modified so longas such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the'sae lient features of the invention-gas expressed in the appended claims.v

In the,drawings: -Figure 1 is a view in side elevation 'ofthe parachute projecting mechanism-- showing a parachute carrying casing in broken lines in position thereon; t v .Figure' 21s a view in top plan of the projecting mechanism; 1'

Figure3 is a sectional view taken substantially upon the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view in side elevation of the" Referring nowmore particularly tothe drawprojector.

corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral l indicates generally the parachute case projecting mechanism which as shown is in the form of a gun or rifle having the stock portion 2 andthe barrel portion 3. i

At the forward end of the stock portion a chamber is formed therein asindicated at 4 which opens downwardly. through thelower edge and which has pivotally mounted therein upon The upper end of the the pin 5, the trigger 6.

trigger 5 has a plate 7 whichbearsagainst the underside of one end of a bar 8. which is pivotally mounted substantially midway of its ends between the side walls of the chamber 4 as indi cated at 9.

At the forward end of the chamber 4 thereis formed a passage or bore 10 which opens through thetop and bottom edgeso-f the rear part of the barrel portion of the gun and into whichthe forvward edge of the chamber 4 opens. In the upper end of this bore is a sleeve 11 and reciprocably mounted in this sleeve is arelease pin 12,

while the lower end is bifurcated as indicated at 13 and receives the forward end 'of'theoscillating bar 8 to whichit is pivotally attached, as indicated at 14. i v

' The lower edge of. the projector has attached thereto, the trigger guard 15 "the ends) of which are'sec'ured in the manner shown andthe for- Ward-en'd of this guard covers the lower endof .the b'ore. 10 and retains in" position therein the expansion spring ,lfiwhich engages thei'lower end -of the release pin 12 and normally'urg'es the .the upper end of which normally projects above the top edge of thebarrel portion of the projector same upwardly to project beyond the top of. the H Upon the top of the projector at the'forward' end of the stock and rearwardly of the pin 12 is At its forward end the barrel portion of the projector is provided'with a transverse bore 20 into which opens. the forwardly directed slot 21 and in this bore is held by a pin-22 one end of a tongue 23 which has its other .endssecuredin The rear .end of this a suitable manner to one end of the relatively V heavy elastic band or strap 24. At its other end this elastic strap is secured. to a rear tongue .25 which in turn is attached in a suitable manner, as by the use of rivets or. the like, to a sling plate 26. This plate 26 has an aperture 27 therein which is designed to register with the upper end of the bore 10 and to have the upper end of the pin 12 engage therein when the strap 24 has been stretched to a taut condition and disposed in the position upon the top of the barrel 3 in which it is shown in Figure l.

The plate 26'has the laterally projecting cars 28 which serve to maintain it in a horizontal position or in a plane parallel with the top sur face of the barrel 3 when it is released and drawn forward by the contraction of the strap 24.

Upon the top of the plate 26 at the rear there of and upon the longitudinal center of the same and the strap 24 is pivotally mounted at the point 29 the shank 30 of a hook 31.

The device which carries the toy parachute in folded condition and which is projected into the air by the structure shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, is indicated generally by the numeral 32 and is shown indotted lines mounted in position upon the gun in Figure 1, ready to be projected therefrom. This carrier or receptacle for the folded parachute is in the form of an arrow, having the head portion 33, the narrow intermediate portion 34 and the broad relatively flat rear portion 35.

This carrier is in the form of a hollow shell and is cut transversely along the line 36 from which is provided with shroud cords 42 which are attached to the bottom portion by means of the eye 43.

Within the top of the forward or head portion 33 and upon the longitudinal center of the parachute carrier there is formed a pocket 44 which communicates with a channel 45 which is also formed in the head, which extends forwardly to a point adjacent the tip thereof where it terminates in the opening 46 which extends through to the interior of the head.

Oscillatably mounted upon a pin 47 which is secured to the head across the opening 46, is the upper end of a plate 48 which merges, exteriorly of the head, into the rearwardly extending curved arm 49 which normally lies in the channel 45 and terminates adjacent the pocket 44. At the rear terminal end of this arm '49 is a disk weight 50 which lies in the pocket 44 and which has a notch cut in its edge at a point opposite the connection of the arm 49 therewith,

The top of this which provides the shoulder 51. shoulder 51, when the weight is in position in the pocket, is flush with the top of the head 33 'and is engaged by the fan-like retaining plate 52.

This plate 52 is pivotally attached or secured by the pin or rivet 53, at its radial center, to the top of the head 33 upon the longitudinal center thereof and integral with this plate is a stem 54 which terminates in a flat weight 55.

Upon the longitudinal center of the carrier rearwardly of the weight 55 the top wall of the head is provided with the slot or opening 56 and secured transversely of this opening 56 is a pin 57 on which is oscillatably mounted at a point intermediate its ends, the trigger arm 58 which has one end extended downwardly'into the interior of the head while its other end has inmovement.

tegrally connected therewith the curved finger 59 which normally is directed downwardly into the head and has its tip positioned in the opening 56.

Within the head is a rod 60, one end of which is pivotally attached as at 61 with the inner end of the plate 48, while its other end is pivotally attached as indicated at 62 to the inner end of the trigger arm 58.

Upon the under side of the body beneath the forward or free end of the cover 38 is an eye 63 to which is connected one end of an elastic band 64. The other end of this band is connected with one eye of a double eye member 65 and the other eye of this member is designed to receive the tip of the trigger finger 59 as will now be explained.

In the use of the present toy parachute the parachute 41 is folded in any suitable manner and placed within the chamber 40 with the shroud cords 42 connected with the eye 43 in the manner illustrated. The cover 38 is then closed and the elastic band or cord is then given one or two turns in a stretched condition about the free forwardend of the cover and the underlying body portion and the free eye of the element 65 is then slipped over the free end of the trigger finger 59 which is then extended into the opening 56 in the manner shown in Figure 6 so that the eye will be firmly held. It will, of course, be understood that when the trigger finger 59 is swung out of the opening 56 for the attachment of this eye thereto it will be necessary to oscillate the weight 55 so as to remove the fan-like plate 52 from the shoulder of the'weight 50 and then swing the weight 50 out of its pocket so as to oscillate the plate 48 and allow the rod 60 to shift rearwardly.

The replacement of the finger tip in the opening 56 will restore the weight 50 to its position in the pocket 44 and the weight 55 is then swung back so that the stem 54 will lie parallel with the longitudinal center of the parachute carrier, in which position the plate 52 will engage over the shoulder 51 and hold the several parts against The arrow is then placed in position upon the platform 17 of the projector in the manner shown in Figure 1 with the hook 31 engaged in the recess 66 which is formed in the bottom wall of the head portion 33. By directing the barrel portion'3 of the projector upwardly at the desired inclination and pulling upon the trigger 6 the pin 12 will be drawn downwardly and the'plate 26 released so that the band 24 will be permitted to contract and thus throw the plate and hook 31 forwardly. This will result in a whipping or snapping of the free end of the band and the projection into the air of the parachute containing body 32.

During its flight upwardly the parachute containing body will maintain a position in the'air such that the members 52, 54 and 55 willremain in alignment longitudinally of the arrow and the trigger mechanism 59 will remain set. As the arrow body turns in the air to descend a slight side'swaying or tipping thereof will result in the swinging of the weight 55 and the oscillation of the fan-like plate 52 so that it will move from over the shoulder 51 of the weight and release the weight.

As the head 33 of the device turns downwardly the weight 50 will fall forwardly and this will result in the shifting of the rod 60 and the oscillation of the trigger arm 58 so as to remove the tip of the trigger finger 59 from the opening 56 The top of the head portion 33 has two pins 65 mounted therein each upon one side of the weight 50. the weight swinging around to the point where it might interfere with the proper operation of the arm and weight 49-50.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a toy article designed to be projected into the air, an elongated hollow body, means constituting a cover for the body at one end, means for latching said cover in closed position, means for projecting the body into the air, and weight means shiftably carried by the body and normally holding the latch in set position and shifting when the body assumes a predetermined position, for therelease of said latching means.

2. A toy parachute of the character described, comprising an elongated hollow body divided 1on gitudinally from one end inwardly to a point substantially midway of its ends, one of the portions formed by such division being pivotally connected at one end to the body and constituting a closure member, a parachute folded within the body and connected therewithand adapted to be released therefrom upon the opening of said closure member, pivoted means normally retaining said closure member in closedposition, and means normally holding the pivoted means in closed position and releasing the same upon the assumption by the body of a predetermined position in the air, to permit said closure means to removable portion constituting a closure for the body, a parachute folded within the body and connected therewith and adapted to leave the same upon the opening ofthe closuremembena latch finger oscillatably mounted upon the body,

means for retaining said closure member in closed position, said'means being normally held by the latch finger, an arm member oscillatably mounted upon the head end of the body, means between the arm and the latch for efiecting the oscillation of the latter and release of the closure member retaining means, and a gravity actuated element carried upon the head end of the body and normally movement.

4. In a toy parachute device of the character described, an elongatedhollow body having a These pins act as stops to. prevent rear end removable, said connecting holding the arm against I adapted to release the same when the body ashead end and having a removable rear end portion pivotally joined thereto, a parachute housed within the rear end of the body for escape therefrom upon the removal of said portion, a retaining band adapted to be wrapped about the body to overlie and hold said removable portion in position thereon, an oscillatable latch element normally engaging and holding said band in operative position, a weighted arm member pivotally mounted upon the head end of the body to swing outwardly therefrom, means connecting said arm for positively actuating said latch element, and a weighted member oscillatably mounted upon the head end of the body and normally retaining said weighted arm against movement. V

5. A toy projectile, comprising an elongated casing having a movable cover portion at one end, a parachute adapted to be folded and housed in the casing for escape therefrom when the cover portion is open, a member oscillatably mounted upon the casing and having a portion outside the same, means associated with said outside portion of said member for retaining said cover closed, a lever oscillatably mounted on the casing,

a link connection'between said lever and the inner end of the member, weight means operating to swing said lever for the oscillation of said member when the casing assumes a predetermined position in the air, and gravity actuated means carried by the casing and holding said lever against movement until the casing assumes the said predetermined position.

6. A toy projectile, comprising an elongated casing having a pointed end and having a cover adjacent the opposite end, a parachute adapted to be folded in the casing for discharge therefrom when the cover is'open, a member oscillatably mounted on a wall of the casing and having a portion exteriorly thereof, means engaged by the exterior portion of said member for retaining said cover closed when the member is in' one position, a weighted lever pivotally mounted upon the pointed end of the casing, a link connection between the lever and said member whereby the swinging of the'lever under the influence of the weight will shift said member to lrelease the cover, and a gravity actuated weight pivotally mounted upon the casing and adapted to engage said lever to hold the same against movement and to shift for the release of the lever when the casing assumes apredetermined position;

7. In a device designed to be air, an elongated hollow body, means for opening the body, a parachute folded within the'body and connected therewith, latching means normally preventing the opening of the body, andgravity operated means carried by said body and normallyconnected with the latching means and sumes a predetermined position in the air.

' ALBERT R. C. GIESE.

projected into the 

